“It’s like you’re some sort of Super………….guy….” – Jimmy Olsen
Oh, so close!
I can’t really put my finger on why, but this season finale didn’t seem as epic as ones in the past. There just wasn’t that sense of urgency and danger. It didn’t really feel like everything that happened throughout the season was leading up to THIS point. This isn’t a criticism of the episode or the season – both of which were stellar – it’s just an observation. Smallville, in my opinion, has always done a phenomenal job of building towards its finales. Yet I feel like I could have entirely forgotten that this week was the season finale.
A few weeks ago I mentioned how Heroes constantly comes up short on its epic battles, and the excuse they use is budget restraints. Yet Smallville, which I assume is allotted far less money, consistently far exceeds my expectations. This episode was no exception. While it was far shorter than I would have liked, the fight scene between Clark and Doomsday was pretty exceptional. Again, though, it was short. Doomsday is supposed to be the monster who kills Superman. Yeah, he kicked Clark’s ass, but how about bringing him to the brink of death before flying him into the exploding building? It would have made Clark’s last ditch effort and eventual victory that much more exciting.
And I suppose that’s my other criticism. In a really cool effect, Clark essentially flew, slamming Doomsday into a building as it exploded. And then things just kinda ended. It felt very disjointed and lacked fluidity. The final ten minutes felt very rushed. In the amount of time it took for Chloe to arrange Jimmy’s funeral, nobody heard from Clark? And where was the concern over Lois’ absence? And unless I’m mistaken, but did Chloe and Clark say that the Justice League went bye-bye following Jimmy’s funeral?
And then there’s Jimmy’s death. Let me preface my complaints with a compliment: I thought it was written wonderfully. I absolutely loved how Clark and Chloe spent the entire second half of the season devoted to saving Davis the person, yet as it turned out, the human part of him WAS a killer. It was excellently poetic. And the reunion between Jimmy and Chloe was one of the most genuinely touching moments of the entire season. Finally, I thought it was very sweet how Jimmy’s final act was saving Chloe’s life. If it was virtually any other character, I’d say it was damn near perfect. While I’m not typically critical when the show diverts from the Superman mythos, I do find it bothersome when they kill of major characters. And that includes Jimmy. Not to mention the fact that the character had a lot more fuel left in him. Earlier this season, his escapes with Clark and/or Lois at the Planet were very entertaining. There’s certainly a season’s worth of story left in him.
And while Jimmy’s baby brother would make a lot more sense age-wise, I don’t buy the whole, “well this Jimmy wasn’t THE Jimmy – his brother is!” story. That’s almost as bad as 24’s “Tony didn’t really die – the clock was making a ticking sound!”
I don’t want to be too critical, because it was a really good episode, with some pretty fun moments. How about that fight with Lois and Tess? Can you imagine if you worked at the Daily Planet, and you came in late only to see your hot boss fighting one of your hot coworkers? That’s all the motivation I’d need to burn the midnight oil!
I also loved how Clark just passed by Oliver’s unconscious body without seeing if he’s okay after they were attacked by Doomsday. The growing tension between Clark and Oliver – who, in a lot of ways, is Clark’s superhero mentor – has been enjoyable. I look forward to seeing how their dynamic progresses given Clark’s new attitude.
Speaking of the new ‘tude, I’m not quite sure what to think. While this show has prospered far, far, FAR longer than I ever would have thought, one would imagine that next season could very likely be its last. If that’s the case, I would really prefer to see Clark essentially being Superman, much like he has been for most of this season. Much like the (thankfully short lived) asshole, drug addict Jimmy Olsen, do we really want to see brooding Clark Kent? And as we learned from Spider-Man 3, the whole Emo-Superhero thing can easily backfire.
Matt Basilo has been writing for Inside Pulse since April 2005, providing his insight into popular television shows such as Lost, Heroes, Prison Break, and Smallville. You can visit his blog at A Case of the Blog.
